Gabriele Röhrig1, Ingrid Becker2, Ralf-Joachim Schulz3, Romana Lenzen-Großimlinghaus4, Peter Willschrei5, Sybille Gebauer6, Mirja Modreker7, Martin Jäger8, Rainer Wirth9. 1. Ageing Clinical Research, Department II of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Cologne, Germany; St. Marien-Hospital, Department of Geriatrics, Cologne, Germany. Electronic address: gabriele.roehrig@uk-koeln.de. 2. Institute of Medical Statistics, Informatics and Epidemiology, Cologne, Germany. 3. St. Marien-Hospital, Department of Geriatrics, Cologne, Germany. 4. Klinikum Ernst von Bergmann gGmbh, Medical Department of Geriatrics, Postdam, Germany. 5. Kliniken Essen Mitte, Clinic for Geriatric Medicine, Germany. 6. Dominikus Hospital, Geriatric Department, Berlin, Germany. 7. Helios Kliniken Schwerin, Clinic for Geriatric Medicine and Geriatric Rehabilitation, Germany. 8. St. Vinzenz-Hospital Dinslaken, Clinic for Geriatric Medicine, Dinslaken, Germany. 9. St. Marien-Hospital Borken, Clinic for Geriatric Medicine, Borken and Institute for Biomedicine of Aging, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Objective of this study was to analyse the association between impairment of Barthel Index items and hematologic parameters in geriatric inpatients. METHODS: Patient recruitment of the "GeriPrävalenz2013" study has been described before. INCLUSION CRITERIA: in-patient aged>=70years; exclusion criteria: actual cancer disease or cancer associated treatment. Anemia was defined according to WHO criteria. Physical impairment was assessed by Barthel Index (BI). Association between all 10 items of the BI and hematologic parameters was statistically evaluated. RESULTS: Anemia prevalence was 55.1% (319/579) with BI impairment in 96.2% patients. T-test revealed significant lower BI in anemic patients (47.9 vs 54.3; p=0.004). Binary logistic regression revealed that growing age, reduced MCV, reduced iron levels and reduced Hb levels were associated with increased impairment of several items of the Barthel-Index. Interestingly, increased levels of albumin and folic acid (FA) were associated with increased impairment of BI items. CONCLUSION: Anemia and lower levels of anemia related parameters showed a negative impact on ADL and physical performance based on BI items. An impaired total BI should result in an analysis of BI subitems, particularly if anemia related laboratory parameters are deviant. Reasons for the negative impact of elevated FA and albumin levels on BI remain speculative.
OBJECTIVES: Objective of this study was to analyse the association between impairment of Barthel Index items and hematologic parameters in geriatric inpatients. METHODS:Patient recruitment of the "GeriPrävalenz2013" study has been described before. INCLUSION CRITERIA: in-patient aged>=70years; exclusion criteria: actual cancer disease or cancer associated treatment. Anemia was defined according to WHO criteria. Physical impairment was assessed by Barthel Index (BI). Association between all 10 items of the BI and hematologic parameters was statistically evaluated. RESULTS:Anemia prevalence was 55.1% (319/579) with BI impairment in 96.2% patients. T-test revealed significant lower BI in anemicpatients (47.9 vs 54.3; p=0.004). Binary logistic regression revealed that growing age, reduced MCV, reduced iron levels and reduced Hb levels were associated with increased impairment of several items of the Barthel-Index. Interestingly, increased levels of albumin and folic acid (FA) were associated with increased impairment of BI items. CONCLUSION:Anemia and lower levels of anemia related parameters showed a negative impact on ADL and physical performance based on BI items. An impaired total BI should result in an analysis of BI subitems, particularly if anemia related laboratory parameters are deviant. Reasons for the negative impact of elevated FA and albumin levels on BI remain speculative.